Tuesday, February 4
Evanston, Ill.
8 p.m. CT
Northwestern
vs
USC
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
‘Cats Close Three-Game Homestand against USC
2/3/2025 6:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern men's basketball wraps up a three-game Big Ten Conference homestand by taking on conference newcomer USC for the first time since 2000 at 8 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Feb. 4. The game will be televised on BTN with Dave Revsine (play-by-play) and Brian Butch (analyst) on the call and can be heard on WGN Radio 720 and SiriusXM Channel 372 with Dave Eanet (play-by-play) and Nate Taphorn (analyst).
Northwestern (12-10, 3-8 Big Ten) is scoring an average of 73.9 points per game this season, its highest scoring season since the 1993-94 team averaged 75.0 points per game. As a team, the Wildcats are averaging 9.8 turnovers lost per game, which is the fewest in the Big Ten, and ranks 20th fewest nationally. During league games, the Wildcats are blocking 4.36 shots per game, which ranks fifth in the league. Northwestern is on pace to record its most blocks per game during conference play since at least 2005-06.
Junior Nick Martinelli was named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List on Monday afternoon. Martinelli is third in the Big Ten and ranks 25th nationally, averaging 19.4 points per game. He places fifth in the country in scoring by high-major forwards, trailing only Eric Dixon (24.2, Villanova), Maxime Raynaud (20.4, Stanford), Dawson Garcia (20.1, Minnesota) and Cooper Flagg (20.0, Duke). Martinelli has scored 15+ points in 19 games this season, which is tied for the conference lead. The junior scored 25+ points in three straight games (Nov. 4 - Nov. 12) and is currently on a career-best streak of scoring 15+ points in seven straight games. The Glenview, Ill. native has registered 10 games of 20+ points this season, the most in a season by a Northwestern forward since John Shurna posted 18 such games in 2011-12.
The Wildcats will be without stat sheet stuffer Brooks Barnhizer (foot) for the remainder of the season. After his final game against Rutgers (Jan. 29), he posted season averages of 17.1 points (8th in B1G, rankings as of Jan. 29), 8.8 rebounds (4th), 4.2 assists (10th), 2.3 steals (2nd), 1.1 blocks (4th) and 36:56 (2nd) per game. Barnhizer, who played 96 career games for Northwestern, became the first Big Ten player to post career marks of 1000+ points, 500+ rebounds and 200+ assists in 96 or fewer games since Michael Redd at Ohio State from 1997-2000.
Graduate student Jalen Leach has scored 15+ points in five of his last six games (23 points in two straight games), and during conference play is second on the team in scoring (15.1), with a team-best 48.7 field goal percentage. In Big Ten games, the Fairfield transfer ranks 10th in the league in assists (4.3) per game, 13th in field goal percentage and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (2.47).
Graduate student Ty Berry has totaled 228 career 3-pointers, four away from tying Drew Crawford (2009-14) for the fifth-most in program history.
Last time out, No. 17 Wisconsin scored 50 second half points to pull away for a 75-69 win over the Wildcats at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Saturday (Feb. 1) afternoon. Leach scored a team-high 23 points for the second straight outing, hitting 8-of-14 field goals, including a career-high tying five 3-pointers. He collected seven rebounds and seven assists without turning the ball over. Martinelli contributed 15 points with 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Northwestern held Wisconsin to a season-low 25 first half points and held a 31-25 lead at halftime. The Badgers shot 14-of-25 (56.0%) in the second stanza and connected on 13 three-pointers overall, the most the Wildcats have allowed since Penn State drilled 13 in the home finale on March 1, 2023.
USC (13-8, 5-5 Big Ten) has split its last four games, which includes a win over No. 7 Michigan State, 70-64, in Los Angeles on Saturday (Feb. 1). Four Trojans are averaging double-figures this season, led by Desmond Claude's 16.2 points per game. Saint Thomas is averaging a team-high 6.2 rebounds per game.
Northwestern trails the all-time series against USC, 5-3 but are 2-0 all-time in Evanston claiming wins in 2000 and 1931. In the last meeting between the two teams, the Wildcats upset the then No. 16 ranked Trojans 63-61 on Dec. 27, 2000, inside Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Later this week, the Wildcats hit the road and travel to play Washington at 9:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Feb. 8. The game will air on BTN and WGN Radio 720.
Northwestern (12-10, 3-8 Big Ten) is scoring an average of 73.9 points per game this season, its highest scoring season since the 1993-94 team averaged 75.0 points per game. As a team, the Wildcats are averaging 9.8 turnovers lost per game, which is the fewest in the Big Ten, and ranks 20th fewest nationally. During league games, the Wildcats are blocking 4.36 shots per game, which ranks fifth in the league. Northwestern is on pace to record its most blocks per game during conference play since at least 2005-06.
Junior Nick Martinelli was named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List on Monday afternoon. Martinelli is third in the Big Ten and ranks 25th nationally, averaging 19.4 points per game. He places fifth in the country in scoring by high-major forwards, trailing only Eric Dixon (24.2, Villanova), Maxime Raynaud (20.4, Stanford), Dawson Garcia (20.1, Minnesota) and Cooper Flagg (20.0, Duke). Martinelli has scored 15+ points in 19 games this season, which is tied for the conference lead. The junior scored 25+ points in three straight games (Nov. 4 - Nov. 12) and is currently on a career-best streak of scoring 15+ points in seven straight games. The Glenview, Ill. native has registered 10 games of 20+ points this season, the most in a season by a Northwestern forward since John Shurna posted 18 such games in 2011-12.
The Wildcats will be without stat sheet stuffer Brooks Barnhizer (foot) for the remainder of the season. After his final game against Rutgers (Jan. 29), he posted season averages of 17.1 points (8th in B1G, rankings as of Jan. 29), 8.8 rebounds (4th), 4.2 assists (10th), 2.3 steals (2nd), 1.1 blocks (4th) and 36:56 (2nd) per game. Barnhizer, who played 96 career games for Northwestern, became the first Big Ten player to post career marks of 1000+ points, 500+ rebounds and 200+ assists in 96 or fewer games since Michael Redd at Ohio State from 1997-2000.
Graduate student Jalen Leach has scored 15+ points in five of his last six games (23 points in two straight games), and during conference play is second on the team in scoring (15.1), with a team-best 48.7 field goal percentage. In Big Ten games, the Fairfield transfer ranks 10th in the league in assists (4.3) per game, 13th in field goal percentage and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (2.47).
Graduate student Ty Berry has totaled 228 career 3-pointers, four away from tying Drew Crawford (2009-14) for the fifth-most in program history.
Last time out, No. 17 Wisconsin scored 50 second half points to pull away for a 75-69 win over the Wildcats at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Saturday (Feb. 1) afternoon. Leach scored a team-high 23 points for the second straight outing, hitting 8-of-14 field goals, including a career-high tying five 3-pointers. He collected seven rebounds and seven assists without turning the ball over. Martinelli contributed 15 points with 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Northwestern held Wisconsin to a season-low 25 first half points and held a 31-25 lead at halftime. The Badgers shot 14-of-25 (56.0%) in the second stanza and connected on 13 three-pointers overall, the most the Wildcats have allowed since Penn State drilled 13 in the home finale on March 1, 2023.
USC (13-8, 5-5 Big Ten) has split its last four games, which includes a win over No. 7 Michigan State, 70-64, in Los Angeles on Saturday (Feb. 1). Four Trojans are averaging double-figures this season, led by Desmond Claude's 16.2 points per game. Saint Thomas is averaging a team-high 6.2 rebounds per game.
Northwestern trails the all-time series against USC, 5-3 but are 2-0 all-time in Evanston claiming wins in 2000 and 1931. In the last meeting between the two teams, the Wildcats upset the then No. 16 ranked Trojans 63-61 on Dec. 27, 2000, inside Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Later this week, the Wildcats hit the road and travel to play Washington at 9:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Feb. 8. The game will air on BTN and WGN Radio 720.
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